Another Boeing Whistleblower Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances

A second Boeing Whistleblower has died as the company is facing lawsuits over its safety failures over the last several years.

Joshua Dean, who was employed as a quality inspector for the Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died earlier this week after having an infection that left him in critical condition for several days.

Dean’s aunt, Carol Parsons, told the press that Dean died from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is a type of staph infection.

In 2023, Dean was fired for speaking out against Boeing’s safety failures.

Dean’s death comes two months after another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, 62, was found dead inside his pickup truck with “self-inflicted gunshot wounds.”

Second Boeing Whistleblower dies of a “sudden illness” pic.twitter.com/toTjzp9F8Z

— DiedSuddenly (@DiedSuddenly_) May 2, 2024

JUST IN: A second whistleblower connected to Boeing has suddenly died at the age of 45 after catching a “sudden illness.”

Whistleblower Joshua Dean was known for being in good health and having a healthy lifestyle.

Dean was one of the first whistleblowers to accuse Boeing… pic.twitter.com/XVac3BlcEU

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 2, 2024

Here’s what Fox News reported:

A second Boeing whistleblower has died unexpectedly as the company faces scrutiny over safety failures on its passenger jets.

Joshua Dean, a quality inspector for the Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died this week after a surprise infection left him in critical condition for days, according to his family.

The cause was Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an antibiotic resistant staph infection commonly known as MRSA, his aunt Carol Parsons told the Seattle Times, which first reported the death.

The 44-year-old lost his job in 2023 and filed a retaliation complaint with federal labor officials, alleging that he was only fired for speaking out.

Dean had been deposed in connection with a shareholder lawsuit and had reported dangerous faults in components of Boeing’s 737 MAX plane – a model linked to a number of catastrophes in recent years.

The family shared in a Facebook post Monday that doctors warned them Dean had a “50/50 chance of living.”

BREAKING – Yet another whistleblower dies — Boeing whistleblower Joshua Dean dies suddenly after accusing supplier of ignoring safety flaws in 737 Max production – reports pic.twitter.com/CvXhPvRThN

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 2, 2024

CNN had these details to report on John Barnett’s death:

A former longtime Boeing employee who had raised serious concerns about the company’s production standards was found dead in Charleston, South Carolina, over the weekend, according to the Charleston County Coroner’s Office.

A news release from the Charleston County Coroner’s Office said John Barnett, 62, died on March 9, from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” The city’s police department says detectives are investigating the case and “awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that might shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Barnett.”

A statement provided to CNN by his lawyers says, “John was in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case, which finally was nearing the end. He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it. We are all devasted [sic]. We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned.”

His family told NPR the case was heading to trial in June, adding that Barnett was, “looking forward to having his day in court and hoped that it would force Boeing to change its culture.”

The statement from his attorneys Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles described Barnett as “a brave, honest man of the highest integrity. He cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft. We have rarely met someone with a more sincere and forthright character.”

A police incident report says officers were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a Holiday Inn in Charleston shortly before 10:20 am on Saturday. When they arrived, responding officers found Barnett in the driver’s seat of a truck in the parking lot, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was holding a handgun. Barnett was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Boeing supplier whistleblower Joshua Dean dead at 45

This death comes less than two months after Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62, was found dead in an apparent suicide. More details: https://t.co/GUt5wHEwKi

— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) May 2, 2024